Keys of Life
by L.P.An
Summary: A new member of the Avengers is found. Her ability to manipulate emotions is equally proportional to her ability to empathize with the wrong people. One day she is able to bring peace where there is not and on the next day, she may show her darkest side. Tony is nor sure if he can trust his team to her but Steve is ready to put in her hands the most valuable for him.
1. Chapter 1 The first Contact

The first contact.

Everybody knows that a ride in the subway of a big city feels exactly the same as jumping into an ocean of anonym humans. People go and come like waves in all directions. You see them once and two seconds later they disappear behind corners, columns, corridors, and leaving trains. You will never see them again, In fact, you will forget them before the present hour is finish. today, one of the rides, this ride, is going to be very different.

Ann Perkings is a strong, big, blonde woman in her thirties and she is sitting on the train like every Friday at 16:00 hour in direction to downtown. She holds her pink big bag with both hands in front of her and thinks already about the scones and cappuccino waiting for her in the cozy cafe in front of the duck's lake where she is going to sit alone holding a newspaper and simulating that she is not watching the romantic couples walking and holding hands together.

Of curse, Ann Perkings is not alone in the wagon, very close to her sits a young insignificant woman, there is nothing remarkable on her, she is probably in her twenties, has long black hair tied behind her head and a face with delicate features. She is not especially dressed, only blue jeans, a long jacket and a green scarf around her neck. With her brown long eyes, she looks through the people like she always does. If she would watch you directly into your eyes, you could realize that this one, is not exactly that simple woman that you think she is. In fact, at this precise moment, she is trying to stay calm, because the people around her, men and women, children and old passengers are saturating her senses with all the content inside their beings: feelings, toughs, ideas, and even sorrows. All of them flowing without permission through her head and provoking an avalanche of sensations that she uses to call: "the metro-horror-concert". Usually, her capacity to feel others moods and even to predict their intentions based on the mapping of their emotions is something she can deal with, but a subway ride requires some mental distance and a lot of concentration to create a border between her and all that people in such a reduced place.

A couple of meters behind the good Ann and the young woman with the scarf, there is a tall young man with a cap and a pair of old fashioned glasses standing near one of the doors, he is trying to look relaxed and remain unnoticed but I will tell you: he is always ready fo action. Steve Rogers never rests, not even on his free day in which he is supposed to enjoy an almost normal life out of the Avengers compound.

The train leaves one of the stations filled with new people when suddenly, Ann Perkings starts feeling unwell. She starts sliding slowly to her side, where a sitting man looks to her without understanding what is going on. Then, before she can ask for help, she starts shaking until the rest of the people sitting close to her leave their places with some distrust. At that moment, everybody thinks that the lady is having a collapse, an epileptic fit or something similar. Steve stands out and call for medical help: -"Any Doctors here?"- Everybody can hear his voice but nobody answers. Without anybody besides her to stop her fall, Ann Perkings reaches the floor exactly in the same moment that the woman with the scarf realizes that something "big" is happening again.

Miss Perkings has lost the color of her cheeks and her lips turn gray while her eyes remain locked somewhere in front of her. A second later the woman with the scarf realizes that nobody is going to help the woman on the floor. She also wants to think that she is having a Fit, but that "sense" in her is telling her something more. She starts sliding to Ann when an emerging need for explanation makes her look in the direction that Miss Perkings keep watching. -"Ahaa"- she thinks. The truth knocks her and she now knows that there is nobody casually feeling unwell on the wagon.

A young woman with red hair, almost a teenager, wearing black jeans and a black hoodie is watching Miss Perkings on the floor. She seems to ignore everybody else and starts to approximate to her, her mouth moves as incomprehensible words seem to come out but nobody would hear something. Only the woman with the scarf, now kneeling beside Ann seems to focus all her attention on what she is doing. Steve looks at the scene with little understanding of what is happening but he can see what happens next: The redhaired is willing to touch Ann with two fingers, only some centimeters before he reaches her, the other woman places her hand in the train's floor, both totally open as if looking for some support, then, she slowly lift them till reaching the level of the other one's eyes. There is a grotesque face emerging from the teenager and she stops her approximation in the same way someone would reach a wall with his entire body. The woman with the scarf makes a fast movement and places a hand over the poor Perkings to protect her. With the other hand, she is still preventing the girl from coming closer to them.

The whole scene is weird, Steve could swear that the redhaired woman was looking very aggressive and had something to do with the lady's collapse but her attack was being neutralized by a sort of energy coming from the other woman, which now, was looking daring in her direction while protecting Ann. He knew well enough that some humans can possess certain outstanding capacities, he just had to think in Wanda or her brother and he started to think that this one was one of those situations in which he will witness one incredible thing.

Around them, nobody seemed to realize what was happening, they seemed to be submerged in an invisible dimension. Steve rushed to help Ann while the other two women were giving a demonstration of an extraordinary battle in which he could not find the way to be included.

At that moment, the train stopped again and the woman with her long brown eyes looked by the first time to Steve. -"Take her away," said to him. The train was full of people, but she just talked to him as he would be the only one there- Does she know who I am? - Steve did not have time to think about the answer but he could feel the same trust Nat gave to him in every mission. He lifted Ann from the floor and went out of the train before the doors closed again. At that moment, lights in the whole station failed and everything stayed in darkness. He could hear the train starting to run again but when the light came back, he was standing in front of the empty rail looking into nothing.


	2. Chapter 2 Meeting Miss Keys

Steve ran to the other side of the subway station. He just had realized that they were in the last station and the trains made a loop just some meters far from them. It took him almost nothing to arrive at the other side of the rail but he had to wait a couple of minutes until the right train came back. He stayed there watching the people fill the wagons until he saw the black hoody. The girl was coming out slowly, walking heavily and looked calmed but tired. He started to walk into her direction. At the other side of the rail, a group of people and paramedics from the train service were already taking care of poor Ann Perkings. Suddenly, he saw the woman with the Scarf standing on the third step of a stair, close to Perkings, she observed Ann too and without any mimic, she used her hands again. This time, she just turned both palms into her direction and lifted them until Ann started to get stronger and could come back from her lift without knowing nothing of what was happening around her. Then, the woman turned back and went through the stairs.

Ooo nooo! – Though Steve.- You are not going away so easy!- and he ran through the people until he could see her again.

A hundred steps later, three corridors and a ticket control after that he finally found her: She was walking already on the street with fast steps trying to leave the area as fast as possible.

-Hey! you!.- screamed Steve moving fast until he reached her from the back. -"You"- "Stop"

Lara Keys, 24 years old, with no family in the whole country and very few friends around got it. "She was caught again". She took some deep breaths and turned back. Steve saw her delicate face trying not to look worried, she looked much younger as he first thought and her troubled eyes were still enough brightening to think they were beautiful. -"A nice face"- he tough .- Pity, she seems to be dangerous.

-Hi!- He said.- "May I speak with you for a moment?"

-hi! she said, - "I'm sorry, but I am late - She tried to look convincing, but actually, she did not have a single plan on that day. Then, a little smile was visible between her lips "she recognized him".

-"It will take just a minute, I promise- " -said Steve but when she smiled, he already knew that she would stay. -My name is Steve and...-He started to lift his hand.

-Hi... Steve- she said and she smiled again watching his hand, she only had to take it once, to see what kind of man he was. She found the whole situation very inviting, delightful and unique. Not every day she had the chance to meet and feel the emotions of such a prominent personality. Slowly, and consciously enjoying the moment, she gave him her hand. "Hi Steve".- she repeated, but this time, she was greeting the emotional core of Capitan America, naked and without any filter, she was being able of going through this man's feelings, and she couldn't avoid an immediate blush after that. -"Jesus", this is probably illegal.- She tough- "I just abused his innocence".

Steve didn't know it, but she only needed a couple of minutes more with him and she would be able to make a map of his entire emotions, feelings, the important things for him, his values, things he rejected, things that made him feel sad or angry and that is exactly the opportunity he would give to her:

-You was in the train, with that Ladie on the floor, what happened?- he asked.

-No Idea, she was maybe sick- she answered

-That's a lie, I saw it- Steve crossed his arms in front of him and watched her serious indicating that the time for friendly introductions was over.

Lara exhaled strongly and asked- what did you see?

-Everything, the redheaded girl, the woman on the floor and you protecting her. Would you speak about that with me ...

-Lara, my name is Lara.- then she made a pause to think about her next step, she never, absolutely never spoke with anybody about those things. The reason was very simple, everything was beyond what everybody could understand, but this was the famous Steve Rogers, she knew that if there were some other weird people in the world like her, he was one of them and many other were his friends. This could be a chance to feel not so lonely but... nop, it was dangerous. She shouldn't trust this thing to anybody, at least, not everything. Not even that group of freaks called the Avengers would be able to deal with that, they were just humans and the temptation was always there. She saw him directly into his eyes, perfect blue eyes without any signs of hazard in them. -ohh, Lord! maybe this one is special- she though, Only after some seconds with him, she has already to feel how extraordinary Steve was. He couldn't be harmful to her. Impossible, this Guy was really made of something different.

\- ok.- What do you want to know? .- She was surprised by her own reaction and just opened the door for the questions for the first time in a decade.

-how much time do you really have now? - Steve asked without relaxing

-enough- she smiled and there she provoked Steve's first smile.

The empathic phase had started.


	3. Chapter 3 The lake

The Lake

-the lake? – asked Steve while pointing at the end of the street, where the big trees of a park were visible.

-ok- Lara decided to follow him because she loved the place and she knew that there they would find enough space to speak without being heard.

-I'm sure that you already know who I am.- said Steve traying to speed the conversation into the right direction. This was not an official interrogation but he needed to know what happened in the train.

-yes, I know. – Lara's voice was soft and she seemed to be calm.

-is she going to be ok? The lady in the train?

-yes, she will. - Lara was walking with her sight lost in the far trees. She walked now slowly, almost, very slow.

-I do not see similar things very oft- said Steve- what can you tell me about that?

Then she took a deep breath again and talked as if she would try to remember a very old movie:

-The woman on the floor was not sick, she felt down because the other one was trying to get something from her, I do not think that they knew each other, but her intentions were not good. She was stealing all her energy until she felt so bad that she lost her conscience. Maybe she wanted her purse or something else. I have no Idea about that.

-but you stopped her. - Steve was getting more curious about the whole thing.

-I was not aware about that, I was thinking myself in something else but then I got closer and I could…- Lara was not sure about going on with the conversation. The effects of what she had done in the subway station were now getting stronger. She knew that that would happens. She had started to feel heavy, slow; she was not able to order her thoughts without trying to be concentrated. Actually, she had some nauseas now, but the Idea of throwing up her breakfast on Capitan America's shoes was ridiculous. She exhalated and saw him again on the eyes. In that moment, Steve realized that she needed some help. – let's sit. - he almost ordered. - do you need some water?

They were walking in front of a cosy cafe shop with some sits outside. They looked for a free table with two chairs and Steve ordered two glasses of water. For some reason, he waited until the waitress came back with their order to speak again.

-you are not from here, right?

-no, I am not, I 'm just a student in the country. I will stay here for a couple of years and then we will see.

-do you have relatives or friends here?

-no, I came with a scholarship some months ago and I'm still trying to find the right places and the right people. - Lara felt tired, but having Steve around was giving her extra energy. He was full of live and was very empathic so she started to feel better after a couple of minutes. "Amazing" she thought "I could use this guy as an additional battery".

They see each other expecting to ear something from the other one, both were inquiring what the other one was thinking or planning to say. Then she just dropped it:

-I sensed the girl when she was getting closer in the train, she was so obvious and felt so confident that she did not see me until she was almost touching the poor lady on the floor. Then she got scared. I guess that see did not expected somebody else to read her intentions. Even worst, she did not expect someone to block them.

-is that what you do? You sense intentions? – Steve got serious again

-I read emotions Steve, that is what I do, I feel the sweetest and weirdest things you can ever imagine when I get in contact with the people. Then I make a map, I calculate their reactions, how strong their personality is, how weak or angry they feel and then I get it: a very accurate picture of what they are going to do next. – Lara made a pause, she was not sure about telling the next thing but Steve knew that there was something more. - And your hands? What did you do with your hands?

-people with bad intentions are oft sad, weak, scared people, there is frustration and uncertainty inside of them. – Lara wanted to be sure that Steve wouldn't think it wrong- That makes easy for me to manipulate their emotions… with those of my own.

-Can you really do that? – The story was starting to be more interesting as Steve thought that it could be.

She saw him and felt some fear but decided that there was no other way to make him understand the whole thing than on "that way".

-Think in something that you do not like. - she said

Steve reminded calm but started to look in his head for something

-Not in Vision's music-taste- she couldn't avoid a smirk. - Something that you really do not like, something that makes you angry.

There she could see how his little wrinkles surrounded his eyes. He thought on Tony and their almost wracked relationship after he knew everything about Bucky. One year had passed since they could meet again and talk. Before that, he and the others lived a couple of years undercover. They had been hiding until some serious threat brought them together again. Now they were again a team, or almost, he had been able to reunite all his friends again in the avenger's compound but there was still a pendent issue between them, his friend: Bucky, which remained in Wakanda where Shuri was trying to find a cure for his condition. He did not realize that, but one negative thought delivered him directly into another one, after fifteen seconds, he already was feeling that huge frustration he had every time he thought on him.

Lara was watching him and she could catch his sadness, she felt sorry about him. It was her Idea to make him feel like that so, she looker her own hand resting over the table and turned the wide-open palm slowly with her fingers pointing to Steve. During the next seconds, she felt her own energy flee from her skin, when she could lift her sight, she found Steve's eyes watching her astonished for what she had done. She smiled, still full of surprise. -Did you just had manipulated my mood? He felt calm and contempt again without no real reason and he was intelligent and sensitive enough to know that he had got a shoot from her energy.

-you were not really trying to resist. - she smiled. - that makes it easier.

-can someone resist it? With purpose? .- he was fascinated

-of course, some people can be really bull-headed, not only stubborn, but a real treat for peace. You already know that. - A wind moved her hair over hear face. – A very nice face. - he thought again watching her small mouth and the warm ton of her skin.

-There are some very mad guys in this universe, you never know when you will meet them. - she said with some melancholy.

-it seems to be like you already had met some of them. - he said with a severe expression, but she did not answer, instead, she kept watching in direction to the trees and the lake that she knew it was behind.

-let's walk beside the lake! -Steve said. – we have a splendid morning today. With this, both stood up and started to walk while Steve made more and more questions.

-so… you can feel everything?

-yes, more or less. Some people are more difficult than others. But do not misunderstand me. I cannot read their thoughts; I just can feel their emotions and then make a connection with them.

-you empathise with people- he was feeling intelligent

-not always, sometimes, I really try to connect with them but they are much stronger than me, they are real prisoners of their heads and I … -she stopped again. That was the point in which she had to decide if she would tell him. – look how beautiful is the lake! I love it. - she said with vivid smile watching the sparkling water of an artificial waterfall and the light of the sun breaking over the surface of the lake.

-I heard that you also have somebody with certain Mind-superpowers in your team, isn't? What is her name?

-Wanda- Steve answered. - But she can really read your mind and bring back your memories.

She smiled without watching him again.

-I still do not forget what you were saying…- Steve was not so easy to deflect. She felt ashamed because she forgot for a moment how good trained was him for interrogatories.

-I slip. - She said this with sadness

-what happens next?

-There is always a reaction when you share your energy and emotions with someone, Today, I could stop the girl, I made her feel calm and sorrow for the lady on the floor. Then I had to help the woman to recover, it made me feel exhausted to create a shield where this woman was save and strong and I was really glad when we could sit for some minutes after that. I do not like that feeling but I can live with that. It is like wanting to have a nap to feel the batteries again. But it is not always like this. - At this point she was not more able to see him directly. She just hidden her sight looking to the floor. - I absorb their mood and their emotions, I made them mine, I feel their toxicity, the poison in my veins, I feel … so different.

-Can you control it? – that was the right question

-Do you know the tale of the two wolves? We are supposed to have two of them in our hearts, one is good and the other one is… not good. One can make you happy and free, he is peace and kindness, the other one is destruction. Each of us decide which one will be stronger.

-how?

-You feed the correct one! She smiled again and continued- Every time I help somebody, I feel stronger, I feel happy and contempt, but every time I fail and slide into the wrong side, I see the bad wolf in front of me and I feel how he is ready to make a menu of me. He is powerful, he goes inside my head and is ready to take the control of everything. It takes a lot of opposition to bring him back into his hole. – She was being very honest with him and was suddenly ready to let him know more. -I am afraid that I cannot protect everybody as you do it Steve, but every time I can deviate an attack, I feel that I make my good wolf stronger, he most be stronger so the other one cannot have a chance. I do not like to hurt people but sometimes it happens. Imagine those women in the train, what would you have done if that teenager would had had a weapon and you would had had to save that lady's life?

-"Counterattack" .- I would had to put that girl under control.

-exactly! Sometimes I cannot deal with people, there is no time for that or they are so strong…

-what do you then?

She had a very serious face in that moment: - I use their own emotions to drown them into their own mess.

Steve could interpret that easily: -you destroy them with their own powers

Lara and Steve stayed longer in the lake but it was only after that answer that he could seriously start making a picture of her and her capacities. Was she a protector? Or was she a combatant? A passive or an active weapon?


End file.
